Thrust-bearing.



F. VV. KROGH,

THRUST BEARING.

APPLlcATIoN FILED Ammo, i915.

Patented 001:, 16, 1917.

LQASQ 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES.

F. W. KROGH.

THRUST BEARING.

APPLlcAnoN man Aus.3o. 19|5.

Paenfed Oct. 16, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOF? WITNESSES mu-ran srars .tireur ernten.

FERDINAND W. KROGI-I, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

THRUST-BEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 30, 1915. Serial No. 47,979.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND KROGH, of San Francisco, California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thrust-Bearings, whereof the following is a specification. n f f This invention relates to thrust ,bearings for shafts, such as the shafts of centrifugal pumps, screw propellers and other shafts which havev'to resist an end strain. p rIdhe object of the invention is to use the resisting power of a liquid, such as oil or other liquid, totalre uprthe thrust. A further object is tok provide mechanism for eficiently makinguse` of suchI liquid. In carrying out the invention I provide ya casing which surrounds thezshaft at a convenient point. Within thisv casing I locate a runner, attached to the shaft and rotating with it,- which shaft and runner, runs in the oil or other liquid which is placed in thecasing and, by centrifugal force, throws the liquid to the periphery of the casing ycausing it to exert a pressureupon one side or the other of thefyrunner andthus maintains it and the shaft inytheir required position.

In the accompanyingthree sheets of drawing I havefillustrated a mechanism containing my invention,as adapted more particular y for use with oil as the resisting liquid.

In these drawings 2* y Figure l is an axial section showing the shaft, the runner thereon, the casing about the-runnerand a water jacket applied to the casing, and other details. y y

Fig. 2 is asection taken upon the line a, a, of Fig. l. f l

Fig. 3 is a section, similarto Fig. l, and showing in addition thereto an air cooling method for the oil.

Fig. a is an end'view of the air cooling drum, shown `in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 `is a similar section to Fig. ,l but showing a modification yof vthe means for returningthe oil from the periphery to the center of the casing. n Y Fig. 6 is an axial section, similar to FigT 1, showing the invention as more particularly adapted to a horizontal shaft, instead of to a vertical shaft, as lit is shown inthe other gures. f'

Fig. 7 is a cross section taken at the `line o, b, of Fig. 6, and showing the shaft and hub of the runner. In these figures l is the shaft for which a thrust bearing is to be provided. 2 is a casing surrounding the shaft at a convenient point and provided with stuffing boxes, 3. In case of a vertical shaft the upper stuiiing boX may heprecessed as at 4, Fig. l and so provide areceptacle for oil which may be delivered to it by apipe, 5, from the interior of the casing, the oil being' forced through the pipe by centrifugal force. is a runner mounted upon the shaft, l, and rotating with it and contained within the casing, 2, which is Vshaped to receive it. This runner may be of any desired construction and is provided with a central reservoir, 7, which maybe partly in the runner and partly inthe casing or wholly in either one, as desired. Leading from the central reservoir are radial channels, 8.

The runner being rotated by the shaft, the oil, with which the casing is filled, is thrown outward by centrifugal force, and exerts a pressure upon the sides of the runner, which pressure will vary with the speed of rotation of the shaft and runner and will thus serve to balance the thrust ofthe shaft.

The oil that is thrown outward by centrifugal force finds its way through the joints, 9, between the edge of the runner and the inner surface of the casing, and passing through these joints, enters the space l0. 'From this space l0, an oil pipe ll, leads from ports l2, to the central reser-v voir, 7 and the oil that is thrown outward by centrifugal force finds its way back through the pipe 11 to the central reservoir as shown in Fig. l. In case there is av surplusage of oil, more than the pipe, ll, can convey, which may occur if the shaftl is rotating very rapidly, the surplus will .be driven back toward the central reservoir through the space l0, then through the channels 12, in the hub of the runner.

The casing may be secured to any fixed point by meansV of the flanges and bolts at 13.

Inasmuch as the rotation of the runner and its action upon the oil have a heating effect, I provide a water jacket in the casingconsisting of the spaces and` channels 14 and 15. 16 and 17 are respectively inlet Patented 9ct. I6, ii

and outlet pipes for the water supply to said j aciret.

At 1S, l have shown ball bearings for the runner to revolve on when the movement is very slow, as shown in Figs. l, 3 and in some cases it may be found desirable to dispense with the water jacket and cool the heated oil by radiation into the atmosphere. ln this case the pipe ll, may be expanded into a flattened conduit as seen at 19 in Figs. 3 and 4l. f

ln some cases it may be found desirable tol omit the return pipe ll, altogether, and, in lieu thereof, provide a return channel in the upper part of the casing. l have shown such channel at 20 in Fig. The oil which is thrown outward by the ruimer passes around the outer edge ofv the diaphragm, 2l,

into the space 20, where it flows toward the central reservoir 7.

in Figs. 6 and 7, l have shown the inventiony as adapted for a horizontal shaft. l have also shown in these figures oil spaces on both sides of the runner and central chambers at each end of the hub of the runner with channels in said hub leading from said chambers to the radial channels. Upon the inner circumference of the casing and immediately opposite the ends of the radial channels, 8, l VQroff'ide a flange 22.y This ange is of such size that `it nearly blocks the circumferential outlets of the radial channels, S, but the slightest movement of the runner in a direction axial of the shaft will open the joint between the runner and the iiange 22, and permit a freer outflow of oil on that side, which will increase the pressure on that side and return the shaft and ruimer to their normal position. The oil which is thrown outward by the runner returns at its sides through the spaces l0, into the central reservoirs 7, and thence through the axialrchannels 23, into the radial chair nel S, again. At the bottom of the Vcasing the flange 22, is perforated in an axial direction asshown at 24, so that the casing maybe drained, through the drain pipe 25.

26 is an air pump communicating by pipe 27, with the air chamber 28, which in turn lcommunicates through the pipe 29,'with the interior ofthe casing.` r`hus any desired pressure may be produced within the casing by opeiating the pump 26.

30, in all the figures, is a filling pipe for filling the casing with oil or other liquid.

Having thus described my invention, and an embodiment of it, in the full, clear and exact terms required by law. and knowing that it comprises novel, useful and valuable improvements in the art to whichVr it pertains, l here state that l do not wish to vbe limited to fthe precise construction vand arrangement of the several parts, as herein set forth, as the same may be variously modified by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention.

f l/Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is the following, to wit :M4

l. A thrust bearing comprising a casing and a runner rotating therein, said casing Yadapted to contain a liquid, and means for being provided with a chamber adapted tccontain a liquid, `and means to form an air cushion'in said chamber.

3. A thrust bearing comprising a shaft, a casing about the shaft adaptedV to contain a liquid, a runner within the casing and means for accommodating the return 'movement of the liquid. i

4. A thrustbearing comprising' a shaft, a. casing about the sameadapted-to contain a liquid, a runner within thecasing and liquid, adapted to rotate with the shaft and thereby give the liquid ar centrifugal tend ency, means forA resisting said tendency and means for accommodating the return ofthe liquid to the center of the casing.

5. A ythrust bearing `comprising a shaft and a casing containing liquid surrounding the same, a runner within saidV casing adapted to give said liquid a centrifugal tendency, means for accommodating the. return of the liquid to the center, and means for cooling said liquid. i

6. A thrust bearingv comprising la shaft and a casing surroundingthe same, a runner within the casing having its periphery ape preaching closely tothe inner surface'ofthe casing but leaving a contracted passagek therebetween, whereby theA liquid thrown centrifugally byv theV runner is forced through said passage, and meansl for returning said liquid to the center.`

7. A thrust bearing comprising a casing and a ruimer rotating therein, said casing being provided with a chamber surrounding said runner, an y'air chamber connectedY to said casing chamber and means to form therein an air cushion. V S. A thrust bearing comprising a shaft and a casing containing liquid: surrounding the same, a runner within said casing ada-pted to give said liquid a centrifugal tendency, means for accommodating the return `of the liquid to the center and a water jacket in said' casing for cooling said liquid provided with an inlet and an outlet? 9. In afthrust bearing, a shaft, a casing about the shaft provided with a stung box having an oil receptacle, a runner within the casing, and a pipe connecting said receptacle to the casing adapted to deliveroilt'o said receptacle.v f

10. In a thrust bearing, a shaft a casing about the shaft, arunner Within the easing, provided with a central liquid reservoir surrounding said shaft, there being a space between the sides of the runner and the easing, and the runner provided with radial channels leading from said central reservoir to said spaces adapted to create a liquid pressure in said spaces.

ll. In a thrust bearing, a shaft, a easing about the shaft provided with a central liquid reservoir, a runner centrally mounted within said easing leaving a space between the sides thereof, and the easing, said runner being provided with axial and radial channels leading from said central reservoir to said spaces and adapted to create a liquid pressure in said spaces.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereto set my hand this 25th day of August 1915, in the presence of Witnesses.

FERDINAND W. KROG Witnesses:

L. A. AMES, R. M. WoLm.

opies of this patent maybe obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

